Beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and scout leader, Leslie Reid Fletcher passed away on Friday and was laid to rest on Wednesday, but his contributions and the number of lives he touched will forever be remembered.
Almost anyone you meet has a memory or story about him. Indianola insurance agent Ed Robinson said Fletcher influenced the lives of so many young men from Indianola, “And I can promise you that none of us will ever forget Les Fletcher.”
Affectionately known as “Les” Fletcher was a graduate of Indianola High School and the University of Mississippi. Despite his work and many affiliations he still had time to be a mentor and example to countless numbers of Indianola youth through his association with the Boy Scouts.
“Back then we are talking about more than 30, 12 to 17-year-old boys that Les was hauling around—a mob of hoodlums.” Robinson said jokingly. He said his group was a very active troop. “Les taught us so much,” he added. Through reflection, Robinson said, “We did not appreciate all of the time and energy he was spending on us. Now, as a father and looking back on it, it is truly remarkable all that he did for us and how long he did it.”
Robinson, like many of Les’ scouts has innumerable stories about their summers together. “There are so many memories. The best stories might make your readers blush or get me in trouble with Adelaide,” he said. Robinson said when he looks back over his years of scouting under Les, he has a hard time coming up with just one story to tell.
Fellow scout and businessman Seldon Van Cleve had a similar reaction but did share one story about a particular scout meeting, when he and some other boys decided to turn the lights out on the baseball field behind the scout hut during a game. He said the players knew what had happened and followed them back over to the hut and when Les found out what they had done…let’s just say they had an experience with a boat paddle that didn’t involve a lake.
Robinson said, “I don't know how he put up with us for all those years without killing one of us.”
Van Cleve said Fletcher loved to have a good time but he was a disciplinarian too. He fondly remembers all of the trips to Camp Tallaha during the summer, the bus rides, with no air conditioning, and the life lessons, “A lot of the things I learned in life came solely from him,” he said. He called Fletcher, “A mentor to all.”
Van Cleve said it didn’t matter what the child’s background was, “Poor, rich or middle-of-the-road.”
“We all have Les Fletcher stories. In most of the stories you would have to change the names to protect the guilty,” Robinson asserted.
Businessman Guy Phillips said anybody that had anything to do with scouting knew Leslie Fletcher. Phillips was a scout under troop leader Doug Russell but remembers those summer camps and the combined cookouts. He recalls a huge fundraising project for the camp that Fletcher was spearheading and believes a street in the camp was named after Fletcher because of his efforts. He said all of Fletcher’s sons and grandsons were active with the scouts.
Van Cleve, who said he grew up with and is friends with Fletcher’s children, credits more than 130 scouts that received their Eagle badges to Fletcher, calling that “a great accomplishment,” especially when you consider the amount of time and effort that goes into it.
“Back then we took it for granted, he was always there,” Robinson said.
